I just left my wife because she is a climate change denier (I'm not kidding), page 14

Originally posted by duke396
I think it's a little extreme to say that climate change deniers have no regard for facts. I don't doubt that the climate is changing, I do however doubt that we have a significant impact on it. I'm sorry that I don't swallow every piece of speculation that Al Gore and the rest of his money hungry lackeys try to shove down my throat. I accept the fact that I may be wrong, but I'm entitled to my opinion as are you. You, Liberator, seem to be the one who has issues with the fact that you could be wrong. Have you ever had a religious debate with someone? I don't know if you are Christian, Atheist, Pagan, whatever, but my point is this argument amounts to the same thing: Everyone presents the evidence, which is often the same facts, skewed ever so slightly to support whichever side you may be on, everyone claims to have an open mind and then proceeds to ridicule everyone else for being "ignorant of the facts" which are clearly more open to interpretation than any of the sides want to admit. I really don't care to argue about it, because it obviously doesn't matter to you what I or anyone else who disagrees with you believes, because your mind is already made up. We have seen the same figures you have, we just think half of it is bull. The earth has been changing in cycles for as long as it's been here. What if we are contributing? Is that going to change the fact that regardless we may all wake up dead in 10 years because the earth decided to pop up a volcano every 3 miles or freeze all the oceans? No. Our carbon output could be helping to prevent a new ice age right now, how do you know that isn't the case? I personally think anyone who is so firmly rooted in their beliefs that they perceive everyone else to be crazy or ill informed is treading in dangerous territory. If you tell me I am not real and back up that claim with factual evidence, I will have to give it some consideration. Doesn't mean I'm going to agree with you.

As for your wife, I sympathize. I may be a few fries short of a happy meal myself but I dated a girl once that put me through an emotional hell the likes of which.. well you probably have seen. I don't think she ever saw a therapist, but I feel pretty okay with saying she was horribly bi-polar and somewhat delusional. You could see her entire attitude change in minutes, and hear it in her voice. When we were good, we were amazing but when we were bad, prepare for turbulence. She would literally tell me she loves me then tell me we needed to break up, sometimes 10 minutes apart (and sometimes more than once in a day), and with no reason or disagreement beforehand, or make up a reason. Then apologize and tell me she loves me again and start to plan out our future together. Once she even said "God told me to break up with you" and was being completely serious. She claimed that her mother hated me (which I don't believe), accused me of cheating on her because she saw me conversing with a female friend, claimed that I had too many issues for her, and would change her mind and say I was the best thing that ever happened to her. I never did anything but put forth my best foot and try to make it work because I had an admiration for her that I now see was misguided, at best. I was a nice guy, maybe too nice, and she helped to ruin that. I'm more pessimistic, less forgiving, quicker to judge, more detached, and more paranoid about people because of her. Many people don't understand personality disorders until they've been in the situation -- trust me I had no idea what I was in for and it broke me down until I decided I had to get out for my sanity's sake. I feel like some of the people on here are giving you more hell than you deserve because they have never had to deal closely with someone who isn't all that stable, or they want to discount all mental disorders as excuses, when there is an undeniable abnormality of thought process at work.

That being said, I think there is also some work that could be done on your end to understand what she is thinking and why, and try to do some damage control instead of blaming everything on her issues. I feel that if you can understand her thought processes better, you can #1 keep her from getting in your head and roping you in (compounding the problem) and #2 help to maybe approach her differently so as not to spark a problem where there isn't one. Maybe see a different therapist. I know you feel the need to run, but you have a kid with this woman and you will have to deal with her in some capacity until that kid grows up, might as well make it the best it can be and even if you can't or don't want to patch things up, make sure you are there for the child and that child is safe. In my case that girl is thankfully my ex, and after a few years of silence and avoidance we have started talking again on a weekly or so basis via text or instant messaging. We are very civil now and I feel like she has learned to control herself better since we were together. Not that I'd be inclined to go for round 2 if it was an option.
edit on 20-12-2010 by duke396 because: (no reason given)

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Thanks for this thoughtful post.

I would do whatever I needed to do if I felt it would help. But, alas, I do not.

I have asked our therapist what part I play and she sort of skirts around the issue as if she doesn't want to come out and say that I am healthy and my wife is crazy.

Anyway, thanks for the support. As far as climate change, I would suggest that you google "methane east siberian arctic shelf feedback" and get back to me.

Thanks again.